


The Taste of Ink

by ExtraSteps



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: College AU, Liam is a tattoo artist, M/M, Theo wants to get a tattoo, career AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-05-24 17:31:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14958977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Liam is going to art school and does tatts on the side to make money. Word gets around campus cause he's really good and really professional and really cheap and Theo approaches him about a tattoo idea he has.





	1. Snapbacks and Tattoos

Theo put down the weights with a sigh, his muscles burning as he reached up, stretching his tired arms over his head. He pulled his ear phones out and turned off his music, wrapping them around his phone before tucking it back into his pocket. He glanced around the room as he picked up his water, unscrewing the lid and sipping at it slowly.

On a Friday night, the college gym was more or less deserted. Everyone was at home getting ready to go out,  which suited Theo perfectly. He didn’t really like parties, and not having to fight other guys over the equipment was more than worth coming in on a Friday as far as he was concerned.

His friend Corey saw that he was finished and walked over to him, offering him a tired smile.

“Hey, all done?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Theo nodded, screwing the lid back on his water bottle and dropping it, sitting down on the closest bench. “You doing anything tonight?” He asked, looking up at Corey. He picked up his towel, wrapping it around his neck and wiping his face with the edge of it.

“Not really,” Corey shrugged. “Just hanging out with Mason probably.”

Theo swallowed down a brief pang of jealousy. It still stung a little that it had been so easy for his best friend to find someone. They’d only been at college for two months, but Corey already had a cute college boyfriend, and they were nauseatingly happy together. He’d barely seen his friend in the past few weeks outside of working out and the one class they shared on Tuesday mornings.

He was happy for him, he really was, but Theo hated being the third wheel, and he wasn’t really interested in being set up with Mason’s friends, no matter how “perfect” they apparently might be for him. So that meant that more often than not, he was stuck sitting at home in their shitty apartment on their ratty secondhand couch trying to find something to watch on Netflix. Or, if Mason was spending the night, listening to his music as loudly as possible while he lay on his bed, doing his best to drown out the enthusiastic moans from the room next door.

“How about you?” Corey asked, breaking Theo from his thoughts.

“Nothing,” Theo shrugged. “I was thinking about looking through some reviews for all the tattoo parlours nearby. I think I have enough now for the tattoo I’ve been wanting to get, but I need someone really good to pull it off.”

“Oh yeah?” Corey asked, looking interested. Theo had been talking about this tattoo for a really long time, could picture it so clearly in his head. How he wanted it to look, the exact shades, every minute detail. The thought of trying to convey that to some moron who just happened to own a tattoo parlour was distasteful. He planned on doing meticulous research and finding someone decent.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s way past time to get it. The only problem is that all the best tattoo artists cost a lot of money. I have to find someone who’s talented enough, but who’s also not too expensive.”

“It’s funny, I think I actually know someone,” Corey mused, looking around the room.

Theo watched him, confused. There was virtually no one else in here.

“What are you doing?” Theo asked him with a frown.

“He’s normally here on Fridays,” Corey muttered. His expression brightened. “There, you see that guy over there?”

Theo followed his gaze to the far side of the room, where a guy with messy brown hair was using the squat assist machine. “Him?” He asked, looking back at Corey sceptically. He was wearing skins and one of those douchey singlets that showed off your pecs. As far as he could tell from this side of the room, the guy didn’t have a single tattoo on him, a pretty clear indication that he wasn’t in the business.

“He’s really good,” Corey nodded. “I’ve seen some of his work. You should approach him and ask him about it. His name is Liam. He’s cool.”

“Maybe,” Theo said doubtfully, looking over at the guy again as he set the weight into the machine and stepped away from it, grabbing his bottle of water and tipping some over his head.

“I gotta go,” Corey said, looking down at his phone with a dopey smile. Theo rolled his eyes and Corey swatted at his arm. “Talk to him,” he urged, and then he was walking away.

“Bye,” Theo called after him.

Corey gave him an absent-minded wave over his shoulder.

Theo sighed, getting to his feet and wondering to the other side of the room, water bottle in hand. Might as well see what the guy had to say. Theo really did want this tattoo.

He approached the guy, who turned as he got closer, and Theo felt his heart skip at the intense blue of his eyes. This Liam guy was cute, really cute. He looked down before he could start blushing, eyes instantly drawn to the tattoo on his arm.

The text read “Lucky 7” with a horseshoe of leaves around it. It was tacky, and poorly done, and Theo wanted to cringe just looking at it. If this was any indication of the quality of his work, then Theo was not even remotely interested.

“Can I help you?” Liam asked loudly. Theo looked back up, startled, realising that he’d been standing in place staring at his tattoo for like ten seconds without saying anything.

“Oh yeah, sorry,” he said, flushing. “Are you done with this machine?”

“Yep,” he replied, shooting Theo an irritated glance. Theo said nothing, and Liam walked away, shaking his head, choosing a machine further away.

Theo watched him go, equal parts embarrassed and vindicated. 

He seemed like a douche anyway.


	2. Implicit Demand for Proof

The next week passed quickly for Theo. He hadn’t ended up looking for any tattoo parlours, too busy on finishing his first few assignments for his college degree. He’d also barely seen Corey during that time, as the other guy had more or less been camping out in Mason’s flat, which was a fair bit closer to campus than their own apartment. 

This meant that it wasn’t until Friday a week later that Theo really had a chance to see him again.

“Hey stranger,” Corey joked, placing his gym bag down next to his in the change room.

Theo looked up, startled. “Oh, hey,” he said, smiling as he looked at Corey. “Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

Corey laughed, nudging his shoulder, and the two of them focused on getting changed, quietly catching each other up on the past week.

“And then he said that the whole class could have an extension,” Theo complained, arms waving in the air as they walked into the gym.

“That sucks, dude,” Corey said sympathetically. “I know how hard you worked on that one.”

“Yeah,” Theo sighed. “Well, I handed it in anyway. If I kept it I would have kept obsessing over it and perfecting it even more, and it would have ended with me just ripping it in half and starting again.”

“Good call,” Corey agreed.

They paused in front of the equipment. Theo looked around. It was even more deserted than normal, with not a single other soul to be seen in the whole room. Not even the Liam guy from the week before. He didn’t give him much thought though, putting in his ear phones and starting on his circuit around the room.

Half an hour later, Theo took a quick break, drinking some water and searching the room for Corey.

He found him nearby, quietly chatting with Liam. As he watched, Liam threw his head back and laughed. His whole body shook, and he clutched his stomach while Corey grinned at him. Theo felt a pang in his chest, a mix of loneliness and jealousy that came from being on the outside looking in. It was like he was little kid with his nose pressed to the glass, gazing longingly at the sweets displayed inside. 

Corey noticed him looking and waved him over, and Liam turned, looking at him as well. Theo approached, feeling awkward as he paused his music.

“Taking a break?” Corey asked him.

Theo nodded, taking another sip from his water so that he didn’t have to say anything. He was rubbish in social situations like this. It was the main reason he never went to parties.

His eyes drifted down. This week, Liam was wearing shorts, and Theo could see the edge of a tattoo on his skin. Liam cleared his throat, and Theo’s eyes flew up, widening as his cheeks turned pink. Corey burst out laughing.

“He’s trying to see your tattoo,” he told Liam. “This is Theo.”

“Your roommate?” Liam asked, checking with a glance at Corey, who nodded. Liam flushed. “Well this is awkward.”

“Why?” Corey asked, looking between them. “Did Theo not introduce himself last week?”

“Uh, no,” Theo muttered. Liam just looked embarrassed.

Corey’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, Theo is douche gym guy?” He asked Liam.

Liam winced, as did Theo. He’d been a bit rude, sure, but calling him a douche was going a bit far, surely?

“I wasn’t that bad,” Theo said with a frown.

“I may have, er, embellished a little,” Liam admitted, his cheeks a bright red.

“This is classic,” Corey sniggered. “As someone who loves both of you, you’re both idiots.”

“How do you two know each other?” Theo asked. “You didn’t say.”

“He’s Mason’s roommate,” Corey explained.

Theo nodded, a wry smile on his lips. “Ah, I see,” he said. “So he knows my suffering then.”

“What?” Corey asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Theo ignored him, looking at Liam. “Did you know that Corey thinks he and Mason are quiet?”

Liam gaped at him. “No, surely not,” he said. “We’ve had multiple noise complaints. The guy in the flat above us literally stomps on our roof when they go at it.”

Theo laughed. “Yeah, well you should see the poor old lady that lives next to us. She’s learned things.”

“Oh dear,” Liam said, grinning at him.

“Introducing you two was a terrible idea,” Corey whined, holding his hands to his burning cheeks. “Why did I ever think it was a good idea?”

They laughed at him, and he wandered off, muttering under his breath.

“Anyway,” Theo said once he’d calmed down a bit. “The reason I was approaching you last week is because Corey said you do tattoos.”

“Ohhh,” Liam said. “And you changed your mind cause you couldn’t see any.”

“Yeah,” Theo nodded. “Sorry if I was rude.”

“No, it’s okay,” Liam said. “I get it. You wanna look at the ones on my legs?”

“If that’s alright?” Theo asked.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Liam smiled. “I’ll show you in the change rooms. Follow me.”

Theo followed him, feeling excited but nervous. Now that they’d hit it off, and Theo could almost see his dream becoming a reality, he was almost bouncing out of his skin. He really wanted this to work out.

In the change rooms, Liam put one leg up on the bench and pulled up his shorts, showing off his skin. Theo moved closer, eyes tracing over what he could see.

“I do leg tattoos on myself cause I think I’m too young to have arm tattoos. Like, I got this dumb lucky seven one on a Las Vegas trip and it’s a shocker, so I vowed not to get anymore until I was at least 25,” Liam babbled. Theo was listening to him, sort of, but he was more intrigued by what lay on the canvas in front of him.

He brought a hand up, tracing his fingers over the intricate wolf inked into Liam’s thigh. “It’s beautiful,” he said quietly. “It almost looks alive.”

“Thanks,” Liam said, sounding a little nervous. Theo looked up at him, fingers still on his skin, finding Liam staring at him and blushing. Theo blinked, confused, and Liam cleared his throat, moving away until Theo’s hand left his skin.

Theo flushed. “Oh god, I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s fine,” Liam said. “Um, anyway.” He switched legs. “This one’s pretty gnarly. It’s a tree, but just the stump and roots.”

The lines on this tattoo were even finer on this one than those on the wolf. There was something unsettling about it, though Theo couldn’t look away from it.

“You’re really talented,” he said.

“Yeah, well,” Liam said, lowering the fabric of his sorts. “I practice drawing a fair bit, and tattooing is a handy thing to do on the side.”

“Still,” Theo said, nodding slowly. “I think you’re the one.”

Liam gaped at him.

Theo blushed again. God, why could he not be cool around this guy?

“I mean, that tattoo artist I’ve been looking for,” Theo explained. “Can we meet up some point this weekend to discuss my idea?”

“Sure,” Liam nodded. “I’m not doing anything tonight?”

“Perfect,” Theo smiled.


	3. Coffee Talk

“So you guys hit if off then,” Corey noted.

“Yep,” Theo agreed. “He seems cool.”

“That’s only what I’ve been trying to tell you for a month now,” Corey muttered. Theo pretended not to hear him. Now that he thought about it, Corey had mentioned Mason’s cute roommate a few times, but Theo had assumed that Corey had been trying to kill two birds with one stone. He didn’t want pity, and he wasn’t particularly interested in going on double dates.

“When are you meeting with him?” Corey asked as they walked out to their cars.

“Now,” Theo said. “I’m just gonna go get changed and then meet him at his apartment.”

“Oh cool, I’m heading over there too. Want a ride?” Corey beamed.

Theo shrugged. “Yeah, why not.”

He got ready quickly, but Corey had still beaten him, waiting impatiently in the lounge room. He all but ran down to his car, and Theo followed him at a more sedate pace, biting back a grin. It was a bit cute how gone Corey was for Mason, and it was definitely mutual. They made a lovely couple.

Corey talked the whole way there, mostly about Liam, and Theo listened with interest. Apparently he was an art student who did tattooing on the side to make some money, and had gone to school with Mason at Devenford Prep. This explained why Theo had never met either of them. He and Corey had gone to Beacon Hills, and Theo had never seen a lacrosse game in his life despite the fact that his best friend was the goalie. He loved Corey, but not  _ that _ much.

But that was how Corey and Liam had met, on the UC lacrosse team, and through him he’d met Mason, and the rest was history.

“It’s amazing to think that you can live in the same town as someone your whole life and never meet,” Theo mused.

Corey nodded his agreement. “I know right? Sometimes it makes me sad, that I could have met Mason in high school. So much wasted time.”

Theo looked at him in surprise. “You like him that much?”

“I love him,” Corey said simply. “I can’t explain it really. I met him and everything just fell into place. I couldn’t imagine life without him now.”

“Wow,” Theo said, impressed. “That’s lovely.”

“Yeah,” Corey said, smiling as he pulled into the parking garage. “It really is.”

Corey lead the way into the foyer and they waited for the elevator. It was empty as it opened, and Theo leaned in the back as Corey pressed the button for the fifth floor. 

“So this is uni housing?” He asked as he looked around, following Corey down the hallway.

“Yeah,” Corey said. “Mostly scholarship students I think. It’s pretty basic, as you’ll see, but it has a nice view of the coast.”

Theo nodded. They got to 516 and Corey knocked on the door. It flew open seconds later, and Corey was pulled inside with an enthusiastic hug.

“Jesus Mason, let him breathe,” Theo heard Liam say.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “Hey Liam,” he said, giving him a friendly nod. Liam smiled back.

“Welcome to our humble abode,” he replied. Theo looked around. As Corey had said, it was basic, but the two roommates had placed a lot of personal touches around the small apartment to make it feel more like home. There were cushions and blankets littering the lounge room, as well as various drawings and paintings covering the walls.

Theo stepped closer to the piece nearest to him, an elaborate forest landscape with a wolf front and centre, howling up at the moon. It was beautiful, and it took Corey tapping his shoulder to draw him back into the room.

“We’re gonna order pizza, sound good?” Corey asked him.

“Yeah cool,” Theo nodded.

Corey walked off into Mason’s room, leaving him alone with Liam.

“I know I already said this,” Theo began, “but you really are talented.”

“Thanks,” Liam said, a light blush on his cheeks. He was seated on the floor of the lounge room, surrounded by scraps of paper and pencils and a multitude of art books. “I have some more of my stuff here if you want to look. Corey mentioned that this tattoo means a lot to you, so I want you to feel really comfortable with me and my work before you commit to anything money wise.”

“I appreciate that,” Theo said, moving to sit on the couch near a towering stack of art books. Liam got up, wandering into the kitchen and returning with a few cans of soda, offering one to Theo. He accepted it with a grateful smile, picking up the book on top of the pile and flicking through it as he took a sip of his drink.

A moment later he was setting the drink down as he examined each of the drawings. Some were just black and white, while others were coloured. In this book Liam had clearly been experimenting with the human form, as there were pages upon pages of faces and bodies with different positions and expressions, some clothed, some not, and Theo felt a flash of heat warm his cheeks as he turned a page to find a drawing of a tall, lanky young man lounging in bed, everything on show.

Theo cleared his throat. “I think I know this guy.”

Liam peered over his shoulder, snatching the book away moments later. “Oh my god,” he said, his cheeks flaming red. “Fuck, I completely forgot that was in there.”

Theo looked at him, amused. He might not care about sport, but even  _ he  _ knew who Brett Talbot was.

“You two hooked up?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“We dated for a bit,” Liam muttered, stashing the art book away in his room. When he returned, he was a little more composed. “Anyway, what do you think? Are you interested?”

“Very,” Theo confirmed, winking at him as he settled opposite him, sitting on the floor with the coffee table and fresh sheets of paper in front of him.

“Right,” Liam said, clearing his throat and looking down at the paper, cheeks still a little pink. “Let’s get started then.”

Theo started by explaining his idea while Liam took some notes, telling him why he wanted it and why it was important to him. It was difficult, talking about Tara and the accident she’d had by the bridge in the preserve. He pulled a photo out of his pocket, one that he’d taken of the bridge once he’d decided that this was what he’d wanted to do. He told Liam about Tara’s accident, how the railing had given way while she’d been leaning on it, how she had fallen into the water and hit her head, drowning before anyone could reach her. The horrible guilt he felt, not getting there in time, frozen in place while his sister lost her life. About how the bridge had been repaired afterwards, like nothing had ever happened.

Liam listened sympathetically, the photo in front of him as he started sketching.

They stopped for pizza, joined briefly by the other boys, who then returned to Mason’s room. Despite the loud music that started cranking, their moans were clearly audible over the top of it, and they looked at each other, both bursting out laughing.

Now full and with lighter moods, Liam began to colour the sketch he’d started, finally turning it around to show Theo.

“What do you think?” He asked.

Theo examined it, heart racing. It was lovely considering it was just a basic sketch, but there was something missing.

“It needs something,” he said quietly, fingers tracing over the swirling water under the bridge.

“Something on top of the water?” Liam asked.

Theo nodded.

“Something to represent her,” he whispered. “To show who she was.”

Liam considered this a moment. “What was her favourite flower?”

Theo looked up at him, startled. “A lily,” he said.

Liam took the picture back, erasing a small spot in the middle of the water, sketching something and adding a few small touches of colour. He examined it seriously before nodding, turning it back around to show him.

Something in Theo’s chest settled as he saw it. 

“Yes,” he said firmly. “Yes, that’s perfect.”

Liam gave him a small smile, and Theo gazed into his eyes, floored that this boy had been able to bring his vision to life so faithfully. “Thank you,” he whispered.


	4. Only In Dreams

“So, when do you want to do this?” Liam asked, glancing up at him.

Theo frowned, checking the time. “It’s probably too late now,” he pouted.

Liam chuckled. “I love the enthusiasm,” he said, “but yeah, I would need time to draw up the stencil and get everything ready. I’ll definitely need to go shopping.”

He knew all of that, but it was hard not to demand that Liam do it right now. His dream was right there in front of him, so tangible that he could almost taste it. Having to wait was going to be torture.

“Can I take a picture of this?” He asked, indicating the picture.

Liam frowned. “Why?”

“So I can keep looking at it,” Theo admitted. 

“Oh,” Liam said, looking relieved. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

Theo studied him. “Why? What did you think I was going to do with it?”

Liam bit his lip, gaze dropping. “I was afraid that you were going to take it somewhere else, like a professional maybe.”

“Why would I?” Theo said frankly. “You’re clearly talented.”

Liam glanced back up at him, that light blush from earlier returning. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Theo said firmly. “I’m really excited to work with you. You have no idea.”

His eyes drifted down, looking at Liam’s hands, which were still resting at the edges of the piece of paper. 

Pulling out his phone, he snapped a picture, making sure to get Liam’s hands in the shot. He studied them in the photo. They were strong, with long fingers, and the thought of them on him was deeply affecting him, even if it was to inflict a bit of pain. It would well and truly be worth it.

Looking back at Liam, he fought to keep down a blush. He was crushing hard, harder than he ever had before.

Liam cleared his throat, looking away. “Well, those two are probably gonna take awhile. Wanna watch a movie?”

“Yeah sure,” Theo smirked, shooting a look over at the still closed door of Mason’s room. 

Liam got up, moving to sit beside him on the touch as he used the remote to turn the tv on, flicking through netflix on his phone. Theo looked over his shoulder, and eventually they settled on a fairly recent action comedy.

Theo tried to watch the screen, but Liam kept drawing his attention. He laughed with his whole body, his shoulders shaking as he leaned into Theo’s side, wiping tears away from his eyes. It was almost impossible for Theo to look away from how beautiful he was.

When it finished, Liam leaned back, a big grin on his face. “Fuck that was funny,” he sighed, glancing at Theo. “Don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Theo said, smiling softly. “I loved it.”

Liam’s eyes briefly dropped to Theo’s lips and then back up again, and Theo swallowed nervously. He really wanted to close the distance between them, hoping that he was reading this right.

But of course, fate had other ideas.

Mason’s door opened, the two boys tumbling out of it, giggling with clothes in disarray. Theo looked over at them, giving a friendly smile even as his heart was sinking.

“How did it go?” Corey asked draping himself over the back of the couch, draping an arm around Theo.

“Great, have a look,” Theo said, picking up the drawing and showing it to him.

Corey’s face changed completely as he studied it, becoming serious and a little awed.

“Oh, Liam,” he said, his other hand tightening on Theo’s shoulder. “This is perfect.”

“Thanks,” Liam said shyly. 

Mason peered at it over his boyfriend’s shoulder, but he seemed to be looking at Theo instead. His eyes slid between Theo and Liam, a faint suspicion in his gaze, eyebrows rising slightly, a smile tugging at his lips.

“So, have you two been playing nice out here?” He asked.

Theo pretended he didn’t see the way his eyebrows waggled as Mason looked at Liam.

“Yeah, we were just watching a movie,” Liam said. “What about you two?” He smirked, knowing full well what the other two had been up to.

“Just listening to some music,” Corey said.

“Bullshit,” Theo coughed.

“You guys were louder than the music,” Liam sniggered.

“The abuse,” Mason sighed to Corey “You see what I have to deal with?”

“Poor baby,” Corey crooned, smiling as he pulled Mason in for a kiss. Liam and Theo laughed, falling against each other and pretending to throw up.

“They’re just jealous,” Mason said against Corey’s lips, “of the purity of our love.”

“Must be why they were praying so loudly earlier,” Theo said to Liam, who burst out laughing, throwing his head back. Theo grinned, looking up at Mason and Corey, who were trying and failing to look offended.

Soon all four of them were laughing, and Theo felt his chest getting lighter by the second. This was what it was like to have a group of friends, and it was really nice. He’d spent so long holding people at arm’s length, lost in his grief and depression, that he’d never had anything like this before.

They ended up watching another movie, with Corey and Mason cuddled together on the other couch. Theo looked at them every now and again, longing filling his chest. He wanted what they had, that easy, sweet love. And he think he maybe wanted it with Liam.

It was a long movie, and Theo could feel his eyes drifting closed, struggling to focus on what was happening.

Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

***

He had no idea how much time had passed when he woke up to a soft shake of his shoulder.

Glancing up, he saw Corey hovering over him.

“Hey,” Corey whispered. “It’s late. We’re just gonna stay here, if that’s okay?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Theo said. 

“You look pretty comfortable here anyway,” Corey smirked, and then he was walking away, ducking into Mason’s room and shutting the door behind him.

He was still mostly asleep, more than a bit confused by how warm he was. His blanket was very heavy. Theo frowned, glancing down, freezing as he took in the messy mop of hair resting against his chest.

It was Liam, lying on top of him, fast asleep.

He shifted slightly, sighing as he nuzzled against Theo’s chest. Theo held his breath, not sure if he was praying for Liam to wake up or stay sleeping.

With a groan, Liam’s head lifted up, sparkling blue eyes blinking open, slowly focussing on him. He gave Theo a soft, sleepy smile, like it was the most natural thing in the world to fall asleep on top of him like this.

Theo smiled back, unable to stop himself from reaching up and caressing Liam’s cheek. He leaned into it, eyes drifting closed again. It was surreal, but it was the magic of the early hours of the morning, where reality was a distant memory.

Liam opened his eyes, pushing himself up and sitting between Theo’s legs, looking down at him.

“I take it you’re staying over,” he said quietly.

“Yeah,” Theo whispered back.

“Come on, you can stay in my room,” Liam said, standing up and offering a hand to Theo.

“Are you sure?” Theo asked, taking his hand but not letting him pull him up just yet, enjoying the warmth of Liam’s hand in his. “I can sleep on the couch.”

“Not if you value your back,” Liam smiled. “It’s fine, Theo.”

He pulled him up, leading him to the second closed door, letting Theo walk past him and into the room. Theo couldn’t see much in the darkness, just a bed and desk that was covered in stacks of books. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he took off his shoes, kicking them off with a happy sigh.

“Want some sweats?” Liam asked, standing by a small dresser, illuminated only by the backlight of his phone. 

“Yes please,” Theo said. Liam chucked them at him, and leaned against the dresser, smirking as Theo undid the top button of his jeans. “Are you going to watch me?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at Liam.

“I’m an artist,” Liam said with a shrug, grinning at him. “Can you blame me for wanting to appreciate a masterpiece?”

Theo shook his head with a wry smile. His heart was starting to beat faster. He shucked his jeans, throwing them away, smirking at the gasp Liam gave. Theo never skipped leg day, and he was quite proud of his thick, toned thighs. It was quite clear that Liam was a fan as well.

The faint light in the room allowed Theo to see the pout on Liam’s lips as he pulled the sweats on. It was flattering, Liam’s reaction to him, especially when he pulled off his shirt, and Liam moved closer, hands rising to grip his hips.

“You’re gorgeous,” Liam whispered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

Theo blushed. Liam was so bold, and he wasn’t used to it. He didn't really know what to do with himself. He wanted to kiss Liam so badly, but it didn't feel like the right time.

“It’s late,” he whispered, skimming his hands up Liam’s back. “We should sleep.”

“Yeah,” Liam agreed, pulling away and giving him a soft smile. He crawled into bed, back pressed against the wall, leaving plenty of room for Theo. 

He climbed in next to him and Liam cuddled closer, placing his head on Theo’s chest.

“Is this okay?” Liam asked quietly.

Theo smiled, putting his arm around him and settling more comfortably into the mattress. “Definitely,” he replied.

It didn’t take long for him to drift back to sleep with such an attractive boy in his arms.

His dreams were filled with sparkling blue sapphires and a soft smile.


	5. Heavy In Your Arms

Theo woke up to find Liam wrapped around him like an octopus, face resting against one of his pecs. Bemused, he pulled back slightly. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually shared a bed with another human, but it was surprisingly nice. He’d been so tired that he’d fallen asleep easily, and now he felt well rested, ready to enjoy his weekend.

As always, he didn’t really have any plans. There were some assignments to work on but that was about it. He didn’t mind that normally, but the man lying in his arms had somehow managed to change that in a single day. He looked down at his sleeping face, wondering what plans he had, and if any of them could include them hanging out. Theo definitely wanted to get to know him better. Not to mention, he wanted that kiss.

It took Liam maybe another ten minutes to wake up. First, he yawned, his face screwing up a bit, and then he was nuzzling closer to Theo like he had on the couch last night, humming his contentment. Theo smiled, tightening his hold around him. He was like a sleepy little puppy, completely adorable.

Another minute later, his eyelids fluttered and he was squinting up at Theo, studying his face. He seemed pleased to find him still there if his smile was any indication.

“Morning,” he said, voice heavy with sleep.

“Good morning,” Theo greeted him in return, smoothing his hands down Liam’s back. Liam’s eyes fluttered closed again and he almost purred, squirming in a way that made Theo blush and bite at his lip, looking up at the ceiling. 

But it didn’t stop him from continuing to move his hands up and down, mapping out every inch of warm muscled skin, squeezing Liam’s shoulders and feeling them flex under his fingertips. It made him a little weak, butterflies filling his stomach. 

Theo worked out pretty casually, generally just the once or twice a week, enough to stay in decent shape, but Liam’s muscles spoke of hours of work and he was definitely a fan.

Liam got his arms underneath him, pushing himself up a bit so that he could look down at him. 

“A very good morning,” he agreed. His hair was hanging in his eyes and he flicked it away impatiently, giving him a rueful smile. It was endearing, making Theo want to tangle his fingers in his hair and pull him closer.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Theo asked after a moment, tracing random patterns and spirals on Liam’s lower back.

The other boy shrugged. “Nothing special. I need to go buy some ink, obviously,” he said with a smirk.

Theo laughed. “Well, that’s true,” he said. “But you have some free time, otherwise?”

“You asking me out, Theo?” Liam asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Maybe,” Theo admitted. “If I was, would you be interested?”

“I’d probably say yes,” Liam drawled, eyes twinkling. Theo got lost in them for a moment, startling when Liam cleared his throat. “Are you gonna ask me?” He prompted.

Theo blushed. “Right. Yes, would you like to spend some time with me this weekend?” He asked. “We could go get some food?”

“I’d love to,” Liam grinned. He leaned down, and Theo’s heart stopped. Was Liam going to kiss him?

But instead, his lips brushed over his cheek, feather light and hovering. If Theo turned his head just slightly, their lips would touch. Before he could make up his mind, Liam pulled away, shooting him a smirk as he rolled off of Theo, his ego not bruised any by Theo’s reaction, or lack thereof.

He laid there for a moment, watching Liam pull on dark blue jeans and a grey henley. He sat on the edge of the bed to pull on socks and turned his head to look at him. “Are you getting up?” He asked with a chuckle.

Theo nodded, pushing himself up and sliding to sit beside him, rubbing at his face with his hands. Liam pulled on his shoes while he slowly got up, finding his jeans and shirt on the floor. 

He glanced back, finding Liam watching him and leaning back on his hands.

“Go on,” he said with a wide grin. “Don’t mind me.”

Theo rolled his eyes but shucked the sweatpants, smirking a little as Liam swore under his breath. Maybe he took a while to pull his jeans on, so sue him. Having Liam’s eyes on him was exhilarating.

He followed Liam out of his room after he’d pulled on his own socks and shoes, feeling a little bereft that they were both now fully clothed. He was kicking himself a little for not being brave enough to kiss Liam. Who knew what they would be doing right now if he had…

“I know a good place not too far away where we could get breakfast?” Liam suggested, grabbing his keys and wallet, both sitting on the kitchen table. He’d also picked up his drawing from the night before, tucking it into a plastic sleeve and giving Theo a questioning look.

“Yeah, sure,” he agreed easily. 

“Good,” Liam beamed. “I love breakfast food.”

“Best meal of the day,” Theo smirked. 

“You are definitely good people,” Liam said approvingly, opening the door to his apartment. Theo glanced back towards Mason’s room, but the door was closed, no sound coming from within. Clearly, the lovebirds were still asleep. With a shrug, he left them to it, following Liam out and leaning in the hallway as Liam locked the door.

The restaurant was only a few minutes drive away, and Theo watched Liam as he snag quietly to the song on the radio, fingers tapping on the steering wheel. He was very glad that he’d revised his initial assessment of the other guy; Liam was so vibrant and full of life and Theo found him endlessly fascinating. He was so bold and happy, so different from anyone else he’d ever met. He was more than a bit infatuated.

“Here we go,” Liam said, shooting him a grin as he pulled into the parking lot. “Best pancake house within a hundred miles.”

“Perfect,” Theo smiled.

The outside of the building was a bit ram-shackled, but inside was pristine. The booths looked comfortable but worn, and the mouthwatering scent of maple syrup filled the entire restaurant. Theo’s stomach rumbled and he flushed a little as Liam snickered. 

“Can’t blame you,” he said, rubbing his stomach. “I’m starving, too.”

For early on a Saturday morning, the place was decently filled. They had to wait to be seated, and were given a small booth near one of the windows. Theo slid in opposite Liam, accepting the menu from the waiter with a polite thank you, opening it immediately.

“What do you recommend?” He asked Liam, glancing up at him.

“Can’t really go wrong with the farmer’s feast,” Liam informed him. “Bacon, eggs, hash browns and then three pancakes.”

“Nice,” Theo said, eyes lighting up at the thought. 

The waiter returned with cutlery and a jug of maple syrup, placing them down on the table as well as some napkins. “Are you ready to order?” He asked, giving them a smile.

“Yes please,” Liam said. “I’ll have the farmer’s feast and a chocolate milkshake, thank you.”

“No problem,” the waiter replied. “And yourself, sir?” He asked Theo.

“The same, thank you,” he smiled.

The waiter nodded, taking their menus and leaving them to it. Liam immediately launched into a story about tattooing, and Theo found himself just staring at him, only really half listening, letting the words wash over him.

His lips were slightly chapped but full, curling up invitingly as he smiled. The longing to feel them on his own filled him, lighting an unfamiliar warmth in his chest. He’d never clicked with someone so quickly in his life, and he had no idea what to do about it. Back in Beacon Hills, Theo hadn’t really dated. He was quiet and pretty awkward, and hadn’t really been interested in being out and proud in high school. He’d watched others struggle with how their fellow students treated them and had quietly kept out of it. The bullies didn’t need yet another reason to target him.

But it did mean that he’d never kissed anyone before. At the tender age of 19, that wasn’t really a big deal, but it made it difficult for him to know how to approach it now. He wanted to kiss Liam, wanted to do lots of things to Liam, come to think of it, but how did people even initiate stuff like that?

Fingers clicked in front of his face, making him jump.

“You with me, Theo?” Liam asked, looking bemused.

“Yeah, sorry,” he blushed. God, now he was making a complete ass of himself. Liam would never want to kiss him if he kept getting lost inside his own head.

“Where did you go?” Liam asked curiously.

He shrugged. “I was just thinking.”

Liam licked his lips, drawing Theo’s gaze again. Those lovely lips curled into another smirk. “I bet.”

Theo pulled his eyes up, meeting Liam’s sparkling blue eyes and flushing even more. Why could he not keep his cool around this guy?

Thankfully, before he could make an even bigger idiot of himself, their food arrived, and Theo could busy himself cutting into the fluffy pancakes and groan at how good they tasted. 

“Fuck that’s good,” he sighed.

He glanced up, finding Liam staring at him intently, fork hovering halfway up to his mouth.

“What?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Liam blinked rapidly, shaking his head slightly. “Nothing,” he murmured. He took a bite of his food, chewing slowly, and Theo watched him a moment more before returning to his own meal. He really was hungry.


	6. Hold Your Breath

Theo paid for their meals with Liam watching him, a knowing smile on his lips, chin resting on his hand. The waiter gave Theo a polite smile and handed him the receipt before walking away. Theo glanced at Liam, blushing a little. “What?” He asked.

“Look at you,” Liam said, eyes twinkling, “paying for breakfast. I feel so wooed.”

“Shut up,” Theo mumbled. He could feel his cheeks burning and ducked his head. Liam just chuckled, getting to his feet.

“Come on,” he said. “Next stop.”

“Where are we going?” Theo asked, trailing him out of the restaurant. Liam shot a smile at him over his shoulder. Theo felt his heart flutter at the way the other boy looked at him.

“Dunno,” Liam said cheerfully. “Let’s just go for a walk.”

They bypassed Liam’s car, Theo squinting up at the sky. It was a reasonably warm morning, if a bit overcast. Clouds on the horizon told of a later storm, but for the time being he was content to fall into step beside the other boy.

“This is nice,” Liam said a few minutes later, his shoulder knocking into Theo’s.

“Yeah,” he agreed. He liked how easy it felt to be with Liam. He didn’t feel like he needed to fill every silence, or try hard to impress him. There were no expectations.

He felt a finger brush the back of his hand and looked down. When he looked back up at Liam, he found that this time it was him that was blushing, biting his lip as he looked away.  
Liam’s fingers brushed his hand again and he turned his slightly, intertwining their fingers together.

“This okay?” He asked, seeking out Liam’s eyes.

Liam’s smile was almost blinding, as warm as the sun. “It’s perfect,” he beamed.

Their walk slowed, both of them blushing and smiling. Theo had never felt such intense butterflies in his stomach before. His crush was intensifying by the second, and he found himself looking at Liam often while they walked, his eyes lingering on his lips.

He kept catching Liam doing the same, but both of them seemed too shy to make the first move.

Theo glanced around. They were near a park, and he lead Liam down to a park bench, sitting down and pulling Liam down next to him. It was a pretty park, full of enormous shady trees and thick, green grass.

“I’ve lived in this neighbourhood for over a year now and never even knew this was here,” Liam said, looking around with avid interest.

“It’s a nice spot,” Theo agreed.

They lapsed into silence again, Liam resting his head on Theo’s shoulder.

It felt like the most natural thing to glance down at Liam, staring into his eyes. He held his breath, sliding a hand under his chin. Liam’s lips curled up into an inviting smile. Theo ducked down, brushing their lips together and the way Liam melted into it, lips parting on a sigh, made his heart feel full.

They kissed slowly, gently exploring. Theo shivered. God, if he’d known that kissing would be like this, maybe he would have done it sooner.

He pulled away, eyes fluttering open.

“Wow,” he breathed. He brushed a finger over his lower lip.

Liam searched his face, smile widening. “Was that your first kiss with a guy?” He asked.

“That was my first kiss ever,” he admitted, dropping his eyes.

“You let me have your first kiss?” Liam asked, his voice shaky.

Theo nodded, giving him a shy smile. His butterflies were flapping madly, but he felt so happy, especially as Liam pulled him into a hug, snuggling into his side.

“So I have to ask,” Liam said, “how does someone who looks like you get through high school without being kissed?”

Theo just shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I was waiting for the right person.”

Liam looked pleased and a little embarrassed.

He continued, looking out at the park. “I was a bit of a loner in high school. I was the kid in a small town with the dead sister, you know? People tended to avoid me and it was easier for me to hide away than put myself out there. If it wasn’t for Corey, I don’t think I would have even left the house.”

“He’s a great guy,” Liam agreed, putting his head back on Theo’s shoulder, listening to him with no judgement. “It must have been lonely, though.”

“Sometimes,” he sighed, “but I don’t know. Everything turned out okay in the end.”

He glanced down at Liam, who looked smug. “True,” he agreed.

***

When they let themselves back into Liam’s apartment a while later, it was to find Mason sitting at the tiny dining room table, typing away at his computer. He looked up at them over the top of his screen, eyes zeroing in on their linked fingers. He smirked.

“You two seem to be getting along,” he noted.

“Yeah, yeah,” Liam drawled. He squeezed Theo’s hand and he returned it, smiling at him. 

“Where’s Corey?” He asked.

“He went home,” Mason said. “Just for a shower and to get a change of clothes. He should be back soon.”

“And what are you working on?” Liam asked. He let go of Theo’s hand to dump his wallet and keys on the table, falling into a seat opposite him. Theo moved to sit beside him, watching their back and forth with amusement.

“Assignment,” Mason sighed. “I just have to put in all my references and then I can submit it.”

Liam wrinkled up his nose. “I hate that bit. I don’t get why you can’t just write what it’s called and who wrote it. And why does it have to be in that weird order?”

“Exactly,” Mason agreed, looking weary. “It just takes so long.”

Theo frowned. “Why does it take you a long time?” He asked. “Don’t you just type everything into Word and get it to spit out your citation?”

Mason blinked. Liam stared. “What?”

Theo looked between them. “Do you guys seriously not know what I’m talking about?”

Mason shook his head. “Nope, but if it’s gonna save me time then you better be showing me right now.”

Theo chuckled, turning Mason’s computer around, clicking onto the reference section. Mason got up and moved behind him, watching as he grabbed the piece of paper that Mason had been referring to with his list of references.

“Okay, look here,” he said, pointing at the style button. “You can choose what style of referencing you need, whether it's MLA or Chicago or whatever it. It will figure out the order you need based on that.”

“Holy crap,” Liam whispered.

“This one’s a keeper, Li,” Mason said, clapping him on the shoulder. 

“Yeah he is,” Liam agreed.

Theo blushed, typing in all of the information and showing off how it worked. Mason took his laptop back and was done within a few minutes, looking thrilled as he saved his assignment and emailed it off.

“God, I can’t believe it was that easy,” he said, grinning at Theo. “I cannot thank you enough for showing me that.”

“It was nothing,” he shrugged. “I just found it by accident one day when I was looking for the insert footnote button. It changed my life too, believe me.”

There was a knock on the door and Mason let Corey in. “Hey everyone,” he said, raising an eyebrow at Theo, who know had an arm slung over the back of Liam’s chair.

“Hey Corey,” Liam grinned. “Guess what?”

“What?” He asked, giving a slow smile, eyes twinkling.

“Mason finished his assignment,” Liam said with a smirk. Corey blinked, looking confused. 

“Wait, what?” Corey asked, looking at Mason. “You said earlier you’d need at least an hour to finish it.”

“Theo showed me how to cite using Word,” Mason said. “It was a lifesaver.”

“Awesome,” Corey said. His eyes slid back to Liam and Theo. “Is that the only news?”

Mason smirked, turning to look at them as well. “Yeah guys, you sure there’s nothing else to share?”

“Well,” Theo drawled, glancing at Liam and receiving an encouraging nod from him, “we did kiss earlier today.”

The smug satisfaction that oozed from both of them made Theo roll his eyes, but they were clearly thrilled as well.

“So what are you guys up to today?” Theo asked.

“Now that I’ve finished that assignment, I’m pretty free,” Mason said, looking at Corey. Corey’s eyes went lidded, his lips turning up.

“Me too,” he said, voice going low.

Theo rolled his eyes again, looking at Liam. “Looks like they’re gonna be playing music all weekend,” he said.

Liam burst out laughing. 

“Oh yeah, for sure,” he agreed once he’d caught his breath.

Theo held his gaze. “You could come over to my place if you want,” he offered quietly.

“Play our own music?” Liam suggested with a wink.

Theo’s stomach flipped, his heart immediately racing faster. “We could,” he said, giving him an intense look. Liam’s eyes darkened.

“Sounds perfect,” he said.


End file.
